On December 7, 2017, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to amend Ukraine’s tax code, opting to cancel the value added tax (20%) and the excise tax (EUR 109) on the import of electric cars throughout 2018 (Bill № 6776-д). The bill also implies an exemption from VAT for taxi services with battery-only electric vehicles. Additionally, the bill aims to reduce the cost of renting all forms of passenger transport with all-electric vehicles (including leasing, EV hire, and transport movement by EV on a by-order basis). The bill came into force on January 1, 2018.

On January 16, the renovated Mariyinsky Palace finally opened its doors and became a venue for official diplomatic receptions. The reopening ceremonies, conducted by the President of Ukraine, were attended by the heads of the diplomatic missions of foreign countries and international organizations accredited in Ukraine. Mariyinsky Palace, built in 1755, serves a broader purpose as the official ceremonial residence of the President and has undergone reconstruction since 2007 at a cost of more than UAH 1 billion. When not in use for ceremonial purposes, the Palace is supposed to become a museum of architecture and history to which the public can arrange a visit. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

On December 5, 2017, the 6th Kyiv Post Tiger Conference, dubbed “Vision 2020: Capturing Innovations,” took place at the 5-star Hilton Kyiv. The annual Tiger Conference brings together 400+ Ukrainian and world leaders as well as key decision-makers in government, business and civil society.

On December 5, 2017, the 6th Kyiv Post Tiger Conference, dubbed “Vision 2020: Capturing Innovations,” took place at the 5-star Hilton Kyiv. The annual Tiger Conference brings together 400+ Ukrainian and world leaders as well as key decision-makers in government, business and civil society.

At a panel on Transforming Security and Defense, speakers agreed that Ukraine’s defenses are strong and have huge potential, but due to massive corruption and obsolete management style, the sector fails to reform progressively.

The Strategic Communications: Branding Ukraine panel discussed the importance of proper strategic branding of Ukraine. Leading communication and branding experts offered advice and opinions on how to improve Ukraine’s brand as a nation and gave examples of how branding works in well-developed successful countries. According to them, Ukraine needs to develop a consistent story and positive, well-prepared message to promote itself. Successful commercial products and success stories can greatly help with this task. What is more, most participants, while speaking about country brands, agreed there is a direct connection between the degree of foreign investment and a boost in tourism.
Speakers at the Renewables Revolution panel agreed that, despite Ukraine’s promise in the energy sector, the lack of quorum at the National Energy regulator and political instability dampen investor confidence when thinking of strategic investment in that sector of the economy.

Speakers at the Transformational Innovations panel discussed the importance of financial technology innovations for the country’s economy. While banks in Ukraine retain traditional “old-school” service structures with the ability to invest, financial technology enterprises are innovative, yet struggle to find seed money. The two can and should find a way to collaborate and help each other out, the panelists agreed.

At the panel on Cybersecurity, speakers discussed the main threats as well as the best virtual defenses, and had some suggestions for the government. Special attention was paid to the global danger of recent big cyber attacks on Ukraine, including ones using the Petya and NotPetya ransomware viruses. Speakers agreed that Ukraine is very likely a testing platform for those willing to attack other countries based on Ukraine’s experience.

In addition to the expert panels, participants in the 6th Kyiv Post Tiger Conference were able to check out 10 of Ukraine’s hottest startups, which are promoting innovations in fields ranging from energy to education and agriculture.